Thyme

Thyme operates chiefly as a songwriting project rather than a standard band, even though the Japanese outfit merges blues-driven energy with power pop. Singer Thyme and composer Teppei Shimizu formed the project in 2004, after which musical engineer Takafumi Hoshino, already active behind the scenes, became an official member. Live appearances began in 2005, the same year the group issued its first indie single, "Seiten"/"Shiroi Hana," in October. Street and club performances surrounding the 2006 single "Drive"/"Yasashii Uta Ga Aru Basho E" led to a contract with Geneon Entertainment, opening doors across Japanese media. In 2007 a track aired on a national television program, another appeared on radio, and "Forever We Can Make It!" was placed in the romantic sitcom anime To Love-Ru. The 2008 single "Fly Away" was chosen for the anime Mahou Tsukai Ni Taisetsu Na Koto: Natsu No Sora and also received television exposure alongside "Forever We Can Make It!" Those placements supported the release of the debut album First 9uality, which failed to enter the Oricon Top 100 despite the band hosting its own radio show at the time. Undeterred, Thyme issued the fourth single "Aisuru Hito" in December 2008, its title track tied to the live-action adaptation of Mahou Tsukai Ni Taisetsu Na Koto.